ESSEX — Parishioners in Essex who lost part of their church in a fire in 2011 have broken ground on a new parish center.

The Holy Family-St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Essex was hit by lightning. That started a fire that destroyed the 100-year-old recently renovated former barn that served as the meeting hall.

Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, blessed and broke ground Sunday on the center.

Church officials told the Burlington Free Press the new hall is projected to cost about $1.45 million and will be funded through a combination of the insurance settlement on the old hall and a fundraising drive. The 3,900-square-foot building is to be larger than the old hall.